The Bulldog 500199 Tongue Jack was a purchase we did not intend on making less than 3 full seasons in with our Rockwood Roo. Our stock tongue jack certainly did the job and never showed signs of stress. I always marveled at its ability to raise the trailer and rear end of our Excursion while locking down our weight distribution hitch.
Rushing out to camp one Friday afternoon it happened. After lowering the trailer on my hitch I heard some strong metal contact and the stand dropped. Something sheered off inside. Thankfully our site at Onondaga State Park was extremely level and we could still enjoy our camping while hooked onto the truck. Upon return, it was time to pull apart the jack to see if it could be saved and order a new one if necessary.
Here we met necessary. The Bulldog 500199 powered tongue jack. After researching numerous reviews on Amazon, etrailer, and all corners of the interwebs we landed on this unit for its price, lift capacity, and thoughtful design.
Upon first unboxing this unit I was impressed by the thoughtful, compact design. The motor powering the jack was far smaller than our original and boasted a higher lift capacity which should equate to a longer life span as we put it to work lifting our trailer and tank tow vehicle.
Several additional design elements stood out on this unit that seem small but make all the difference. The stand is capable of being installed sideways to provide extra clearance for those who may have issues with a tailgate or rear door bumping against the stand. We personally did not need this for our vehicle, but the option to twist the unit and gain a couple inches could go a long way for folks.
Like most powered jacks, LED lighting is built in and can be operated via a toggle switch. Another switch raises it up and down at a slow and steady speed, and it fits on any standard A Frame trailer tongue setup. Added features include a bubble level on the top of the jack and a slick spring loaded drop leg that can help extend the lift to a generous 22 inches.
Installation is a breeze and took less than 30 minutes. My only goof was not reading the directions to understand that the unit was grounded by the actual bolting of the jack to the frame. I was testing the unit once the hot wire was connected and thought I had a dud for several minutes until re-reading their explanation.
Overall performance while in use has been positive. I was a bit nervous as the until seemed to rock back and forth a bit more than our last, however, once our trailer was setup and all stabilizers down we noticed no difference inside. The extra lift capacity and 1 piece cap on the top of the motor gives me more peace of mind in regards to longevity. Here is hoping we get more than 3 seasons from this one!
I can recommend this unit for campers and utility trailers alike. It has a low cost entry point and checks the right boxes for initial quality and performance.
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